Methods in Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a method of curing illnesses through the insertion of needles in targeted points in the body for improved stimulation. The needles used for acupuncture are very thin. They are only a little thicker than a human hair. The main purpose of acupuncture is actually to normalize the flow of blood and balance the yin and yang in the body but, because it is very effective in curing certain diseases, it is now used as an alternative healing method.

It is actually very difficult to find the cause of certain diseases through acupuncture alone, because you will have to observe how a person responds to treatments and stimuli very closely. Therefore it will take a very talented and experienced acupuncturist to correctly diagnose an illness. You should also note that acupuncture is not only used to cure diseases, it can also be used to relieve back pain, muscle pain, or to just stimulate the flow of your blood so you feel energized. For example, a symptomatic treatment is a very difficult procedure because it requires that the acupuncturist remove the symptoms of an illness. The acupuncturist must know the critical acupuncture points he should stimulate and he must be knowledgeable about how the point relates to other parts of the body.

Many people have the misconception that acupuncture is quite painful; this concept is false, because undergoing acupuncture is actually painless. Most of the acupuncture being performed on television is also misleading because the normal needles used to acupuncture are so thin that it is difficult to see with your eyes alone. The needles as big as injection needles that are used in television are merely for demonstration purposes.

There are various methods in using acupuncture, because curing different forms of illness through this procedure requires different acupuncture techniques. But generally different acupuncture methods share the same concept, which is to cure illnesses through the insertion of needles in acupuncture points in the body. One method of acupuncture involves the use of moxa which is a Japanese herb used for treating certain conditions such as arthritis, bronchitis and diarrhea. This method is particularly effective in removing coldness from the body. Another method of removing the cold is cupping. This method makes use of a glass cup with a burning paper inserted into it to create a vacuum and makes the cup attach to your skin. Cupping increases blood flow in the area being treated, so this is effective in treating fibrositis and bronchitis.

You should also not be surprised if your acupuncturist uses different techniques in treating you in every single session. An acupuncturist's techniques may vary because if one particular area is stimulated too often, that area may become desensitized and the treatment won't be effective anymore. You can also note that an acupuncturist will use different variations in inserting the needle at different stages of the treatment. For example, the acupuncturist may insert the needle in one area for a few seconds then insert the next needle in another area for several minutes. But ultimately, acupuncture will only be effective in that it becomes successful in balancing the flow of energy in your body.

Michael Russell